Snow tyres law sparks debate

A new law making it compulsory for motorists in Luxembourg to use winter tyres from October this year would not be legally binding for drivers of cars registered abroad, according to a national motoring organisation.

14.03.2012

A new law making it compulsory for motorists in Luxembourg to use winter tyres from October this year would not be legally binding for drivers of cars registered abroad, according to a national motoring organisation.

Because of this loop hole, the new regulations fall short of their road safety goals, according to Automobile Club of Luxembourg (ACL) director Daniel Tesch.

“For us, this law does not contribute to road safety. The regulation is primarily a movement borne of discontent after the chaos of December 2010. It is pure populism,” he told wort.lu.

The director and lawyer explained that the law would breach the Vienna Road Traffic Convention of 1968 if Luxembourg authorities obliged vehicles registered abroad to fit winter tyres.

This Convention states that only the country in which the vehicle is registered can legislate on the car's equipment.

The ACL says that it has notified Luxembourg's Department of Transport of the flaw in their plan. The government is reportedly aware of the limitations of the law, but stands by the law stating that it is a rule addressing behaviour as opposed to equipment. It says that the rules governing the behaviour of a driver can be set by the country through which a motorist travels.